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by | Mar 16, 2018 | Hosta

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The Burgery ambush was an ambush carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 18–19 March 1921, during the Irish War of Independence.[1] It took place near Dungarvan, County Waterford.

Ambush

On the night of 18–19 March 1921, IRA volunteers of the West Waterford flying column ambushed a British military convoy at the Burgery, about a mile and a half northeast of Dungarvan. The convoy included Black and Tans and a Royal Irish Constabulary Sergeant, named Michael Hickey.[2] In overall command of the IRA unit was IRA GHQ Officer George Plunkett. Also present were West Waterford Brigade Commandant Pax Whelan, ASU leader George Lennon, and Mick Mansfield. A British Crossley tender was set on fire and prisoners taken by the IRA, including Sergeant Hickey. Hickey was later killed by an IRA firing squad[3] with a sign reading "police spy" affixed to his tunic. He was later buried in an unmarked grave.[2] Other prisoners including Captain DV Thomas, the commander of the British garrison, were released.[4]

After the ambush, a group of volunteers under Plunkett returned to search for any armaments left behind by the British forces. Crown forces who were now searching the area engaged the IRA party; IRA volunteers Seán Fitzgerald and Pat Keating were shot dead.[5] A member of the Black and Tans, Constable Sydney R. Redman[3] was shot dead during the return fire.

References

  1. ^ Edmond Keohan (26 July 2001). "The Irish War of Independence 1919-1921". Waterford County Museum. Archived from the original on 5 June 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
  2. ^ a b "Unmarked Dungarvan grave pushes man to act as his father's son" Archived 29 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The Munster Express, 17 March 2006.
  3. ^ a b RIC Memorial Archived 12 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine; accessed 20 August 2014.
  4. ^ O'Halpin, Eunan & Ó Corráin, Daithí (2020), The Dead of the Irish Revolution. Yale University Press, pg 344.
  5. ^ O'Halpin, pg 347.

Sources

  • Rebel Heart: George Lennon: Flying Column Commander, Mercier 2009, ISBN 1-85635-649-3

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